My friend Xiao Wang

Reading strategy

Grasp the text's purpose first from its title and type.
Do not stop at unknown words; follow the flow. Hover the underlined key words to jump to the vocabulary track.
Find the clue each question asks about directly in the passage.

Passage

我想给大家介绍一下我最好的朋友,他叫小王。

我和小王是大学同学,我们认识已经五年了。他比我大一岁,性格非常热情,也很聪明。不管遇到什么问题,他总是很冷静地想办法解决。

小王最大的爱好是运动,特别是打篮球。每个周末,他都会去学校的体育馆打球。他常常说,运动不但能锻炼身体,还能让心情变好。受他的影响,我现在也开始喜欢运动了。

除了运动以外,小王还很喜欢帮助别人。同学有困难的时候,他总是第一个站出来。有一次我生病住院,他每天都来医院照顾我,还帮我把作业带来。那件事让我非常感动。

现在小王在一家公司工作,虽然很忙,但是我们还是经常见面。真正的朋友就是这样,就算不能天天在一起,心也一直在一起。

我觉得能有这样一个朋友,是一件很幸运的事。

Hover the underlined words for their meaning and a link to the vocabulary track.

Sentence structure

Key sentences split into meaning units, showing the role of each part.

不管遇到什么问题,他总是很冷静地想办法解决。

Connective不管no matter (concession)

Clause遇到什么问题shenme = any (whatever problem)

Subject他总是subject + zongshi (always)

Modifier很冷静地de = adverbial (calmly)

Predicate想办法解决serial verbs (think of a way to solve)

"buguan + question word ..., (zongshi/dou) ..." is a concessive meaning "no matter ..., always ...." Here "shenme" is not a question but means "any / whatever." The "de" in "lengjing de" turns the adjective into an adverb modifying the verb "xiang," and "xiang banfa jiejue" is a serial-verb structure: "think of a way and solve it."

他常常说,运动不但能锻炼身体,还能让心情变好。

Clause他常常说main clause (he often says)

Subject运动quoted-clause subject (exercise)

Predicate不但能锻炼身体budan A (not only ...)

Predicate还能让心情变好hai B (but also ...) + causative rang

"budan A, hai B" is an escalating structure meaning "not only A but also B," with the stress falling on the later part. In the second clause, "rang xinqing bian hao" combines the causative "rang" with the change-of-state "bian hao" to mean "make the mood become good." Note also that after the verb "shuo," the quoted clause simply follows after a comma, a common Chinese pattern.

Questions

Q1What is the relationship between the writer and Xiao Wang?

Q2What is Xiao Wang's biggest hobby?

Q3What did Xiao Wang do when the writer was hospitalized?